Sliding hanger for folding doors



April 20 1926. 1,581,854

E. H. MAY

SLIDING HANGER FOR FOLDING DOORS Filed Dec. 18, 1924 8 ed l 5%ZTTO/HYE),

,l atented Apr. 20, 1 926. I

UNITED STATES nrmwoon H. MAY, or MINNEAroLIsMINNEsorA.

'SLIDING HANGER FOR FOLDING DOORS.

Application filed December 18, 1924. Serial No. 756,705.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLwoon H. MAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hcnnepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SlidingHangers for Folding Doors; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to sliding hangers for folding doors, especiallyadapted for garage use but capable of wide general application. It isespecially applicable to doors comprising a plurality of hinged sectionsadapted not only to be folded with said sections in parallelarrangement, but also capable of being swung back against the front wallof the building on which it is employed.

It is an object of the invention to provide an extremely simple andhighly efi'icient device of this nature, which will yieldingly hold theend of the hinged section to which it is applied inwardly against thedoor j amb, while the door is being folded and slid into open position.

' It is a further object to provide a sliding hanger for .folding doorsequipped with means to automatically assist in closing or opening saiddoors and swinging the hinged sections, when folded, backwardly againstthe front wall.-

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a sliding hangerfor folding doors having a horizontally swinging hanger arm with adepending vertical portion on which the door strap of securing plate ispivotally mounted and supported, and also having resilient means carriedby, said hanger arm and tensioned by said door strap which is operative.to yieldingly impel the edge of the door on which said hanger is mountedagainst the door jamb.

It is a s 1 further object to provide a door strap and resilient means,as above stated, which may be reversed or inverted for application oneither a left or right folding door.

jThese and other objects of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description made in connection with the accompanying drawings,wherein like characters refer to similar parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to said drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of theinvention,

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of the device applied to the doors ofa garage;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the device mounted on a door inclosed position, some parts being broken away; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In the several views, the front wall of a garage is indicated by thenumeral): provided with the usual doorway and having a door jamb 5. Asingle swinging passage door (3 is hinged on one side of the door frame,while a double folding door 7 is hinged to the opposite side thereof. Arectilinear track or a guideway 8 is secured to the front wall 4: aboveand parallel to the top edge of the folding door 7, when in closedposition. The sliding hanger is a supported from a wheeled truckcomprising a frame 9 mounted on a pair of freely running wheels 10,disposed within guideway 8. Frame 9 carries the outturned horizontalprojecting flanges 11 and 12, disposed on the outer side and below thetrack 8 in spaced relation, between which one end of a hanger arm, inthe form of an angle bolt 13, is vertically pivoted for horizontalswinging movement. The hanger arm 13 has the vertical depending threadedportion 13 extending some distance below the top of the doorway, and ispassed through a pair of vertically aligned bearings 14; carried by thedrop strap or securing plate ll, which is rigidly secured to the upperfree corner of the folding door 7 A pair of nuts 15, between which isinterposed a washer 15, constitute an adjustable lock nut adapted toadjustably support the free end of the door from the upper b aring H ofthe drop strap ll. A torsional coiled spring 16 surrounds the verticalportion of the hanger arn1'13 between the nuts 15 and the lower bearing13 and has one of its ends keyed to or seated in a vertical groove 13'on the front side of the threaded portion 13 of the hanger arm. Thevertical portion of the hanger arm 13 has a second vertical groovesimilar to the groove 13 in alinement therewith on the back side of thesame, and the coiled spring may thus be reseated in either of saidgrooves to vary the tension thereof. It will, of course, be understoodthat other grooves in the hanger arm 13 may be provided to permit finevariation of tension. The opposite end of spring 16 is extendedhorizontally, forming the engaging member 16 adapted to contact thefront surface of the drop strap 14. To hold the free end of the foldingdoor 7 in proper closed position, a guide holder 17, in the form of ahook, is preferably provided horizontally secured to the top of thedoorway just above the free end of the foldable door 7, when in closedposition. The upper Vertical portion of the hanger arm 13 is engaged bythis guide holder 17.

While the novel hanger has been illustratedand described in use upon afolding door having two hinged sections, it may be readily seen that thehanger or plurality of hangers may be employed with equally successfulresults upon folding doors having any convenient number of hingedsections which are adapted to be foldedparallel to each other and swungbackwardly against the front of the building.

The operation of the device will probably be obvious from the abovedescription, but may be briefly summarized as follows When the hanger isapplied to a folding door, tension is preferably put upon the spring 16by winding the strap 14 inwardly about the depending end of the anglebolt 13. The amount of tension on the spring 16 may be increased byreseating one end of the same in the back groove of the pivotal portionof the angle groove 13, or by wind in the strap 14 several times aroundthe hot 13. The angle bolt or hanger arm 13 is swung to the side of thewheeled truck adjacent the free end of the door and the drop strap 14 isthen secured rigidly to the upper free corner of the folding door 7. Asthe folding door 7 is opened, obviously the strap 14 will be revolvedsomewhat about the vertical portion of the hanger arm, thereb increasingthe tension on the spring 16 an consequently exerting a force againstthe free edge of the door and impellingthe same against the door jamb,as the door is being folded and slid open. The-horizontally swinginghanger arm 13 will thus be held yieldingly against the frame 9 of thewheeled truck, thus keeping the free end of the door in close positionwith reference to the door jamb 5. As the hanger slides outwardly, thedoor 7 will thus be permitted to fold properly without the hanger arm 13getting into improper position or interfering. When the door 7 has beenfolded, so that several sections are in parallel relation to each otherand in a position substantially at right angles to the front wall of thegarage, the coiled spring will be at approximately a dead center and aslight push beyond this position will, of course, permit the springtension to work in the opposite direction and tend to automaticallyswing the folded door against the front wall, the hanger arm 13, at thattime, swinging outwardly somewhat on its pivot. In closing the door,after the position of dead center has been reached, a slight push willtake the tension of the spring off dead center and normally tend tounfold the door, forcing the same to closed position, and, at the sametime, keeping the free edge of the door in proper operative positionagainst the door jamb 5,

thereby permitting the guide holder 17 to engage the upper portion ofthe vertical part of the angle bolt 13.

While the device lia s been illustrated inhorizontally swinging hangerarm pivoted to a wheeled truck, but these devices have no means thereonfor keeping the end of the door to which the hanger is attached inproper operative position against the door jainb, when the door is beingopened or closed. Consequently the hanger arms of these devices willoften swing outwardly, causing the doors to jam or interfering with theproper folding of the hinged sections. In closing the door, thesepresent devices often cause the free end of the door to be disposed atsome distance from the jalnb, thereby causing considerable inconveniencein bolting or engaging the free end. Applicants novel and efiicientdevice overcomes these disadvantages and, moreover assists in unfoldingthe hinged sections of the door to closed position, as well as inswinging the folded sections back against the wall in opening.

Extensive actual usage of the device has shown the same to be highlysuccessful for all the purposes intended.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, proportions, details and arrangement of parts withoutdeparting from the scope of the in- 1. A slidable hanger for doorscomprising a member slidable across a doorway, a door supporting armpivoted to said slidable member and swingable outwardly away from saiddoorway and means adapted to normally impel said arm inwardly towardssaid doorway in proper operative position for the opening or closing ofsaid door.

2. A slidable hanger for doors comprising a member slidable across adoorway, an

outwardly swingable arm pivoted adjacent one end of said slidable membercarrying means adjacent its outer end for supporting a. section of afolding door, and resilient means adapted to yieldingly hold said arminwardly towards said doorway and in II proper operative position forthe opening or closing of said door.

3. A slidable hanger for folding doors comprising a member slidable on aguideway across a doorway, a door supporting means pivoted to saidslidable member and capable of being swung outwardly and horizontally,and means operative on a vertical axis adapted to yieldingly hold saiddoor supporting means inwardly and in proper operative position duringopening and closing.

4. The combination with a doorway, a guideway secured thereacross and afolding door comprising a plurality of hinged sections, the outer one ofwhich is hinged to one side of said doorway, of a sliding door hangerincluding a member slidable in said guideway, a door supporting meanspivoted to said slidable member and capable of being swung outwardly andhorizontally, and a torsional means yieldingly holding said doorsupporting means inwardly in proper operative position during theopening and closing of sald door.

5. The combination with a doorway, a guideway secured thereacross and afolding door comprising a plurality of .hinged sections, the outer oneof which is hinged to one side of said doorway, of a sliding door hangerincluding a slidable member disi posed in said guideway, a hanger armpivoted to said slidable-member and capable of being swung outwardlyandhorizontally, a

'- membervertically pivoted to and supported by said hanger arm to whichthe top edge of one of said hinged sections is secured, and resilientmeans carried by said hanger arm adapted to yieldingly hold the sameinwardly in proper operative position during opening or closing. 4

6. In a door structure, the combination of a guideway mounted across adoorway, a folding door having a plurality of hinged sections, the outerone 'of which is hinged to one side of said doorway, a member slid ablein said guideway, 'a horizontally and outwardly swingable hanger armpivoted to said sliding member, a drop strap vertically pivoted to saidhanger arm and secured to the upper corner of one of said hingedsections, and a torsional spring carried by said hanger arm and exertinga resilient force thereagainst operative to yieldingly. hold said hangerarm inwardly and substantially parallel with said doorway in properoperative position during the opening and closing of said door.

7. A slidable hanger for folding doors comprising a member slidable on arectilinear guideway secured across a doorway, an angular hanger armpivoted to said slidable member for outward and horizontal swingingmovement, a drop strap vertically pivoted to the lower end of saidhanger arm and secured to an upper corner of the drop strap and saidcoiled spring being re versible on said hanger arm to permit usage ofthe same on either a right 'or a left sliding door.

- 8.'The combination with a rectilinear guideway mounted across adoorway and a folding door having a plurality of hinged sections, theouter one of which is hinged to one side of said doorway, of a slidabledoor hanger comprising a member slidable in said guideway, ahorizontally and out wardly swingable hanger arm pivoted to saidslidable member and adapted to support said door, and a resilient meanscarried by said hanger arm yieldingly holding the same inwardly andoperative after said door has been folded open to a position slightlybeyond a ninety degree angle with said oorway to automatically assist inswinging said folded door back against the front wall of the building,said resilient means being also operative to assist automatically saidhinged sections in unfolding to closed position. f

9. A slidable hanger for. folding doors comprising a member slidable onarectilinear guideway secured across a doorway, a door supporting meanspivoted to said slidable member and capable of being swung outwardly andhorizontally, resilient means adapted to yieldingly hold saidsupporting. means inwardly and in proper operative position during theopening and closing of said door and a means for varying the tension ofsaid resilient means.

10. In hanger construction, the combinathereby exerting its tension in amanner to means operative on said depending member assist in closing thedoor. adapted to normall keep said door parallel 11. In hangerconstruction, the combinawith said slidable hanger bod 10 tion of aslidable hanger body, a depending In testimony whereof I a 2: my signa-5 member mounted on said body and adapted ture.

to support a door, means pivotally connect ing said depending member toa door and v ELLWOOD H. MAY.

